How a Food Festival Filled My H2 Pipeline and My Belly!

Read time: 4 minutes

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Food, referrals and social Proof

You might have noticed the newsletter hit your inbox a day late. That’s because I spent yesterday grazing my way around Taste of London, the food-lover’s playground in Regent’s Park. Picture dozens of top restaurants dishing up bite-size plates, pop-up bars on every corner, and me, happily herding three daughters, my wife and a few friends, and their kids from stall to stall.

Why bring this up?
Because the whole afternoon turned into a live-action lesson in social proof, my eldest insisted on trying anything her friends raved about. My wife bee-lined for a liver-parfait doughnut she spotted on Instagram. Every “must-try” dish? Something someone we knew or strangers on Insta had already told us about.

Essentially…….SOCIAL PROOF drove our purchases.

Online/content social proof takes time, content, and energy. But referrals? Those are instant and as tasty as yesterday's food; they’re gold for filling an H2 sales pipeline. 

Referred deals close faster and at a higher rate because trust is baked in from the first hello.

Below are four ways to ask for referrals without feeling awkward. Spoiler: the only real secret is ASKING.

1. The Give-and-Ask

Clients and peers ping us for favors all the time: “Can you share that tool?” “What antibody does your ops team use?” Be helpful, then turn the moment into a tiny negotiation:

“Happy to send you the antibody details. While we’re trading notes, could you introduce me to anyone else who might need our platform?”

I tried this last month: three referral emails, three discovery calls, two deals now in pipe. How many of your quick actions land you three qualified opps?
(Pro tip: for more on this negotiating style, check out Asaad’s LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadasaad) and our podcast episode together, added below.)

2. Sign-and-Ask

The best time to request a referral is the moment a client signs.
Weirdly, many believe the best time would not be before you deliver; however, the psychology is that if they did not have high confidence and expectations, they would not sign!
Their confidence is at its peak; they just proved it with their signature. 

“Thrilled to be working together! Who else in your network would benefit from XXXX?”

3. Harvest Your Fans

Make a hit list of repeat buyers and customers you know you wowed. Shoot them a quick note asking for introductions to colleagues or friends. Happy customers love to look like heroes.
Top tip: Make a task to revisit this once a quarter for new clients.

4. Peer-to-Peer Swap

Partner with a trusted rep who sells a complementary solution. Trade warm intros like kids swap Pokémon cards; just be sure you genuinely believe in your recommendation.

One last bite before I start dreaming about those Japanese tacos again:
When you ask for an intro, offer a ready-made email template. The easier you make it, the more likely people will hit Send.

Message me if you want my template.

Now, back to dessert and stacking those H2 wins!

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

Revisiting a podcast from December 2024 with Asaad, as it’s super relevant to the negotiation steps in tip number 2 in the newsletter.

• Top Takeaways

  • What exactly is a negotiation?

  • Common mistakes people make in negotiations

  • The role of friction in negotiations

  • The key differences between selling and negotiating

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